Zlatan to Manchester United?

Just as Sir Alex Ferguson stunned his rivals by landing Cantona from Leeds for a pittance 20 years ago, Moyes needs a marquee signing as a statement of intent.

How about Zlatan Ibrahimovic?

He is a Cantona-type player who would give the Reds a real lift – and with Sweden missing out on the World Cup, he will not be worn out after a long summer.

Perhaps the article should have been entitled ‘How to ruin your club in one expensive step’

Let’s put to bed any suggestion that Zlatan isn’t a top player – he is. He’s a marvellous footballer who dares to do the impossible an has the talent to regularly pull it off.

But now the reality of the idea. At 32 The former Golden Foot winner would still command a big transfer fee and parity with the top earners at Manchester United. He would immediately have to displace RvP or reduce Wayne to his much less preferred midfield role.

I’m sure Zlatan is a lovely guy but, with the situation so fragile at Manchester United, would you really want to put an ego like that into the dressing room? Who knows how the players would respond. He may get on famously with the squad.

But it’s equally likely that he would put a few noses out of joint in a short space of time.

In summary Zlatan would cost a large fortune, would have no sell-on value at all, could perform at his enigmatic worst (a la Barcelona) and possibly imbalance the side further.

2 Comments

16 goals and 7 assists in the league (23 games as a starter, 6 coming off the bench) is his worst. I would take that any day.

Further, Zlatan is a winner. That’s the reason you want a strong character like him in the dressing room. And lastly – Zlatan doesn’t cause trouble, stop spreading this myth and listen to what his former coaches (excluding Guardiola) and team mates has to say about him.